As part of the programme charged with finding a treatment for malaria, Tu was inspired by an ancient Chinese text which said sweet wormwood was used to tackle intermittent fevers (a hallmark of malaria) around 400 AD. In the herb Tu discovered a compound, now known as artemisinin, which proved an effective treatment for the infection. Tu herself volunteered to be the first human recipient.
With half the world’s population at risk from malaria, Tu and artemisinin’s vast impact cannot be underestimated. As her Nobel Prize summary states her work has “led to the survival and improved health of millions of people.”